Tuesday, March 02, 2010

North Korea’s artillery drills in the western inter-Korean sea border early this year was personally directed by heir apparent Kim Jong Un, a ranking source in Pyongyang said yesterday.

Kim Jong Un is the third son of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and is being groomed to succeed his father.

The source said Kim Jong Un attended the artillery department of Kim Il Sung Military University and received private tutoring, and now the power succession process for Kim Jong Un is making headway. The North Korean military is spearheading this in compliance with the “military first” politics of the North.

The Japanese daily Mainichi Shimbun last year reported on lecture materials designed to idolize Kim Jong Un. “Kim is a genius well versed in modern military science and technology, highly skilled in the artillery field, and has created a new and highly accurate military map exuding a three-dimensional look,” the materials were quoted as saying.

Sources say the latest drills in the western inter-Korean sea border were meant to demonstrate Pyongyang’s capacity to strike a specific target in Seoul, and promote Kim Jong Un’s achievements internally.